Vertebrate Palaeoecology

Understanding past ecologies and accurately reconstructing fossil environments from the geological record is critical for modern biodiversity and conservation studies. Such analyses provide the necessary environmental background which influences and ultimately drive the evolution of all organisms. Moreover, understanding where our world’s current biota came from and how it has reacted to... read more

Marine Palaeoenvironments

Marine environments include some of Australia’s most important ecosystems with significant economic and national heritage values. For example, the Great Barrier Reef is an icon of Australia’s national identity, yet it and many other marine resources are under increasing threat from anthropogenic pressures. At the same time, marine sedimentary deposits, including coral reefs and deep sea... read more

Geomicrobiology and Early Life

Geomicrobiology is a relatively new discipline that crosses the historical discipline boundaries between the Life and Earth Sciences. Microorganisms have a significant influence on many geochemical processes that occur at or near the Earth’s surface, including rock weathering, soil and sediment formation, and mineral genesis and degradation. Understanding these phenomena requires a... read more

Quaternary Geochronology

Development of numerous Quaternary dating methods has been paramount in the construction of a reliable geochronological framework for the Earth’s geological, climatic and biological histories. The School of Earth Sciences’ Radiogenic Isotope Facility is a world-class laboratory for elemental and radiogenic isotope analysis, specialising in uranium-thorium (U/Th) dating. The facility consists of... read more

Stay up to date with the IPRG team as we tackle some of the toughest questions in palaeoesciences today. Follow us as we conduct our research, from locations such as the Great Barrier Reef to the arid inland deserts and beyond, crossing interdisciplinary boundaries of terrestrial and marine palaeoecology, palaeobiology, palaeoclimate, geomicrobiology and geochronology.

17/4/2013: Professor Gordon Southam will be presenting a talk entitled “Bacteria-metal (-mineral) interactions with a focus on the biogeochemistry of gold” at the Annual General Meeting of the Geological Society of Australia Inc. Queensland Division (Theodore Club, 333 Adelaide Street, Brisbane).

10/5/2013: Dr Kenny Travouillon will be presenting a talk entitled “The diversity of ancestral bandicoot and kangaroos from
the Riversleigh World Heritage Area” at the University of Queensland